Former hospital employee sues welfare district over dismissal linked to patient data breach

A woman previously convicted of illegally accessing patient records has sued the Welfare District of Southwest Finland, demanding over €50,000 in compensation for what she claims was wrongful termination, Yle reports.

The former ward secretary, who worked at Turku University Hospital (TYKS), was dismissed in February 2025 shortly after her conviction for violating data protection laws. In 2025, a court found her guilty of unlawfully viewing the medical records of 72 patients between 2020 and 2021 while employed by the now-defunct Hospital District of Southwest Finland. She was sentenced to 70 day-fines and ordered to pay over €10,000 in damages.

The woman argues that her dismissal was unjustified because the offences occurred before her employment with the welfare district began in late 2022. She claims the district failed to follow proper procedure, such as issuing a warning or exploring alternative placements before terminating her contract.

The welfare district maintains that the dismissal was lawful, citing the severity of her misconduct—described as a “complete disregard for the law”—and the reputational damage caused. They also state they were unaware of the ongoing criminal investigation when she was hired.

A preparatory hearing was held Wednesday at the District Court of Southwest Finland. The welfare district has called for the lawsuit to be dismissed, arguing that the woman resigned voluntarily after being informed of her impending dismissal. She initially submitted a resignation letter but retracted it the same day.

The case centres on whether the termination was legally justified and whether proper procedural steps were followed.